April Fish
by IronAmerica
Summary: April Fool's Day couldn't come early enough. Contains every pairing possible and then some. Read at your own risk, or wait for Vinwell, Pence, or Dales for more familiar poison.
1. Never Say Never

General disclaimer and benediction: May Tom Wheeler have mercy on my soul for this transgression against writing and his beloved child, _The Cape_. Amen.

Warning: May cause alcohol poisoning, upset stomachs, and insanity.

Un-beta'ed.

- o – o -

Chapter One: Never Say Never

At the time, Miranda's offer had seemed like such a good idea, Peter thought morosely. Really, there had been nothing wrong with the idea: What could possibly have gone wrong with something like pheromones? He glanced over at his bed, and sighed. His daughter was going to murder both of them, and he had a feeling the courts would let her get away with it.

What on earth had possessed him to entertain the idea of researching pheromones? Oh. _Right_. He had wanted to encourage his daughter and son-in-law to expand the family a bit quicker. (Alright, he hadn't put it that way to anyone but Dominic, but his bodyguard wasn't the type to carry tales to anyone. Strangest case of hero worship he'd ever seen in his life…)

Things had been going so well during the tour of Miranda's facilities. He'd even managed to convince Dominic to stay with his daughter (not that _that_ had taken much work, the billionaire thought darkly). Vince had accompanied him; despite the fact that Thompson was about to strangle him anytime she saw him for reasons best left unexplained, the trip had been enjoyable.

And then some idiot running around in a horribly familiar cape had attacked them. Miranda had been knocked unconscious within seconds. (She really was useless, all things considered. Why had he contracted her services again?) The assailant had knocked his son-in-law into the cabinet containing the formula that had so intrigued Peter in the first place. The billionaire had been thrown into the cabinet mere seconds later.

Whatever the man had been after, Peter couldn't even begin to guess. After getting soaked in the solution for Revenge, there was a rather horrific gap in his memory.

He had woken up this morning, in bed with his son-in-law. A quick glance showed him that Vince had wrapped a blanket around his waist and was on his cell phone. Peter winced as his daughter's voice reverberated around the penthouse. It was quite obvious she was unhappy with an article that had made its way into a local tabloid.

Jamie knew the story behind Revenge all too well, and she was_ not_ happy.

Considering that he _had_ slept with her husband—his son-in-law—it wasn't too much of a surprise. Pity he couldn't remember a thing about the last two days. Considering what he'd seen of Vince, the sex must have been fantastic. With a grin, he walked over to the sideboard where his bodyguard had so thoughtfully placed a carafe of coffee.

If his daughter didn't kill him, he was going to have a lot of fun watching those security tapes later…

- o – o -

Well, here's the new story I promised everyone. What did you think? Good? Bad? A little worried about that disclaimer and warning? Drop a line and let me know!


	2. According to You

Alright, here's a new chapter of April Fish.

Everyone say thank you to WtchCool for being the most amazing person in the world and saving this chapter from Development Hell.

- o – o -

Chapter Two: According to You

Before he'd ever met Dana Faraday in person, he'd thought her husband had been the difficult one. After all, the man had the survivability of a cockroach. No matter how many times he'd tried to exterminate the superhero, the man had refused to die. Now, Chess had to wonder if Vincent had learned his annoying persistence and survivability from his wife.

Case in point: Despite the fact that he'd sent six Tarot assassins after her, she'd survived. Hell, she'd even sent one of them to him in a packing crate, with a note telling him to behave! (He was going to figure out how she'd managed to put a man who was nearly six times her size into a box so small.)

The criminal mastermind sighed, examining the woman who'd fallen asleep on the sofa in one of Peter's bolt holes. He hadn't exactly planned on abducting her, it had just happened. Really, was it his fault that he needed someone to talk to other than Peter? (And someone to talk to who wasn't so bloody obsessed with Orwell. That was just wrong on so many levels.)

Chess stood up, stretching. He couldn't be quite sure, but he thought he'd seen Dana tracking his movements from beneath her lashes. Now this was an interesting specimen of a woman, worthy of his, of their attentions. Who needed Orwell when Dana Faraday existed? If only he could convince Peter of that. He shuddered and paced over to the sideboard to pour himself a glass of whiskey. Peter would be duly horrified to discover this, Chess knew.

Dana shifted on the sofa, as though she were waking up. Chess watched her, a small smirk on his lips. She really was quite pretty.

The punch that landed on his nose was quite uncalled for.

"You son of a bitch!" the Faraday woman snarled, swinging at him again. Chess ducked the blow, laughing in delight as he watched her dance lightly on the balls of her feet. Really, she was far and above the level of annoyance her husband had been. Why was Peter even interested in the vigilante?

"Now, now Dana," he chided mockingly, capturing her in a tight hug. She snarled and tried to smash the back of her head into his nose. Chess dodged the blow and captured her lips in a kiss. "How lovely. You know, at this rate I may never let you go."

Dana snarled a few more curses under her breath, as well as something about needing to get home to her son. Chess smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners.

"He will be looked after, my dear. Please, have a seat." Dana sat on the leather sofa with a huff, arms crossed over her chest.

Really, why had he ever been interested in the Cape? Dana was so much more alive! And difficult.

Dana Faraday was difficult, and breaking her (or even charming her skirt off) was going to be fun! Chess smiled at her, and was rewarded with a dark glare.

She was the most difficult Faraday.

- o – o -

Well, what did you think? Good? Bad? Wondering what this relationship would be like? Drop a line and let me know!


	3. Wishful Thinking

Hey, it's an update! This time, snapshots leading up to the ending (of this chapter).

Saved from development hell by the fabulous WtchCool.

- o - o -

Chapter three: Wishful Thinking

When she'd first met Peter Fleming, Dana Faraday hadn't thought about anything other than how much she hated him. He was, after all, responsible for her husband's death. Truth be told, he'd managed to grow on her. It was frightening, but...

- o - o -

_Dana sat across the table from Peter Fleming, arms crossed over her chest as she did her best not to scowl. She really couldn't believe the man's gall. He'd practically ordered his soldiers to murder her husband, and yet here he was: Inviting her out to dinner. Still, she'd accepted so she couldn't exactly complain._

_"Thank you for joining me, Mrs. Faraday," Fleming said as the server filled their wine glasses. He was polite as ever, but Dana had the feeling he was being sincere. Maybe that was just how he was on a normal basis?_

_"It didn't exactly sound like I had a choice," Dana replied waspishly, testing the waters. Peter smiled at her, an amused glint in his eyes. Obviously he preferred women who challenged him._

- o - o -

That first dinner had proven to be the start of a pretty strange relationship, Dana thought. She paced around her dressing room, trying not to rip the delicate lace glove in two. It was a gift from Peter. The lace really was quite lovely.

She sighed. After that first dinner, the night he'd apologized for his part in Vince's death, their relationship had grown... Well, closer was one way to put it. The public defender felt a small smile tease around her lips as she remembered how Peter had progressed from a man she was rather reserved towards to something of a hero.

It really had been sweet!

- o - o -

_Dana didn't know how it had happened, or why. She'd been enjoying a quiet evening with Peter and her son. It really hadn't taken all that long for Trip to warm up to the billionaire, although watching the man fall flat on his ass a few times while trying to learn the rules of baseball had probably gone a long way towards smoothing out any hard feelings between the two._

_Dinners with the billionaire had become an almost weekly affair, although this was the first time Trip had accompanied them. (They were actually celebrating the fact that he'd taken first place in a science fair, for something to do with mechanical engineering. The look on Peter's face had been hilarious.) It had been quiet until some drunken thug had walked over and begun insulting both Faradays._

_Peter had rather calmly stood up, stared at the man, and then knocked him down. Dana had been rather gobsmacked, and Trip looked like he'd acquired a new hero to make a matched set. The billionaire calmly sat back down and resumed his conversation._

_"Oh, and Dana?" he smiled at her. "I will quite gladly plead guilty to the assault charges if that thug files them."Dana felt the blush spread across her cheeks and looked down at her plate._

- o – o -

Kia stuck her head into the dressing room. She smiled at Dana, who smiled weakly back.

"Butterflies getting to you, hun?" the other public defender asked, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. Dana caught a glimpse of Peter, who appeared to be pacing and worrying his lower lip between his teeth. The public defender nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"I know the feeling." Kia smiled, patting Dana on the shoulder. "It's okay to move on, sweetie. Vince wouldn't mind!" The Hispanic lawyer trailed off, a look of nervousness on her face. Dana smiled to show she was okay with the reference to her husband.

Her friend left the room; a few seconds later, Dana heard a resounding thump. A quick peek showed that Kia had smacked her fiancee upside the head, and was now berating him for something. The security chief had the grace to look guilty. Dana's lips twitched. Philips was sweet—and he had helped out with everything here. Well, sort of…

- o – o -

_It was an open secret that billionaire Peter Fleming fancied Dana Faraday. It was also an open secret that she fancied him just a bit in return. Despite the bad blood that should have existed between them, there were remarkably few incidents occurring where Fleming was verbally attacked by the irate widow of a man who'd been so tragically framed as Chess. (And he'd been framed by his best friend, no less!)_

_Seeing Peter Fleming walk into the public defender's office after another day ended was no longer an unusual sight. His bodyguards were almost a fixture there some days. (It was well-known that the industrialist occasionally shared lunch with his paramour at the office, from time to time.)_

_Seeing his bodyguards and several members of the security team sheparding every member of the press in the building into one corridor, however, _was_ unusual. The reason became quite clear when Fleming dropped to one knee and pulled out a small black box._

_The only one who complained when Dana Faraday smiled and kissed Fleming was her employer, Travis Hall. Kia Moreno—soon to be engaged to Jacob Philips, if rumor was to be believed—decked him, putting an end to that argument. (Unsurprisingly, she soon left the public defender's office to work for ARK.)_

- o – o -

Dana took a deep breath as her father looped his arm through hers. Although it had been nearly thirteen years since she'd walked down the aisle for the first time, she still had a major case of the butterflies. Her father squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry, princess," he whispered, using the childhood nickname she had yet to outgrow. "You'll be fine. I doubt Kathleen will let anything bad happen to you today." Kathleen was Dana's older sister. She was also a boxer and a live-in nurse who took care of violent patients. Dana nodded in relief, feeling her breathing ease up just a little.

"Thank you daddy," Dana whispered back. Even if she was over thirty, she was still going to be her dad's little girl. And what else was her father supposed to do, but guide his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day?

Dana's face broke into a smile as she saw Peter Fleming standing by the altar, waiting for her. Alright, would Vince be so unhappy that she was moving on? No. She had the feeling that, wherever he was, Vince would be happy for her.

She took her vows with a smile.

- o - o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? What does Vince actually think about this? Drop a line and let me know!


	4. Accidentally in Love

So, it's a new chapter! Yay!

Saved from development hell by the lovely WtchCool.

- o – o -

Chapter Four: Accidentally In Love

Dana Kirchner née Thompson had never been one for the morning news. She got enough of _that_ during work, thanks very much. There were honestly times when she wished she'd followed Jack into private practice instead of becoming a public defender. Still, the work was challenging.

As it still stood, she wasn't much for the morning news. Walking into the kitchen one Saturday morning, however, the news drew her attention almost automatically. She absentmindedly turned the volume up as she pulled a pan out of one of the cabinets. Jack liked Saturday morning breakfasts, but the man was almost useless until he'd downed at _least_ a pot of coffee.

When the words "billionaire" and "arrested" registered in her brain, she turned to face the television. Jack was sitting at the table, nursing what looked like the first in a long string of coffee mugs. For once, he actually looked focused.

"Sweetie," Dana said, walking over to Jack. "Don't we know that guy?" She pointed at the police officer, identified by the newscaster as Vince Faraday. According to the broadcast, he'd been investigating an anonymous tip with a close friend of his. He and his friend had been abducted by ARK soldiers.

According to a surprisingly red-faced Faraday, Fleming had offered to let him go-if he threw his friend (who worked for Fleming) under the bus. _That_ hadn't ended well.

Jack kissed the inside of her arm as he thought. Dana smiled in exasperation, but didn't pull away. After a few minutes, he nodded. "Yeah. He tried asking you out on a date, didn't he?"

Dana winced. She'd been dating Jack at that point (and it was a very good thing she'd passed his course so quickly), and had... Well, she'd been kinda harsh shutting the poor guy down. He hadn't taken it too badly though, and had been more than helpful whenever their paths had crossed.

"Huh. God, I hope my firm doesn't end up defending Fleming," Jack muttered, standing up. He shambled over to the coffeepot, and Dana stared after him. She really did wonder what would have turned out differently if she had been dating Faraday, instead of Jack. If Faraday had had a family, instead of being a surrogate parent for Marty Voyt's children...

Oh well. Too much thinking on a day she didn't have to work. Dana smiled and walked over to Jack, whispering something in his ear.

Five minutes later, the coffee was finished brewing and the oatmeal was growing cold on the stove. Neither Kirchner was interested enough to care.

- o – o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Do Dana and Jack make a good couple? Drop a line and let me know!


	5. Affliciton of the Feeling

Hey, it's a new chapter! After this one, I actually have to start re-writing the chapters.

Saved from development hell by WtchCool.

- o - o -

Chapter Five: Affliction of the Feeling

Chess paced around the master suite of Peter's penthouse, quite enjoying the feeling of being in charge of their body. It was a rare occurrence, which made it a rare treat. The excursion hadn't been entirely expected _or_ planned on Peter's part—strong emotions were, of course, the best gateways, after all. And Vince had been terribly rude, honestly speaking.

The criminal mastermind shot a look at Peter's former nemesis—now his husband—a small smirk forming on his lips. Why was Peter _so_ insistent on keeping him locked away around Faraday? It wasn't as if the vigilante wasn't enjoying their game at the moment… (_Although he couldn't exactly protest if he wasn't_, Chess thought with an amused mental smirk.)

The criminal's thoughts were interrupted by a moan from the object of them. It was delicious and sent a thrill through Chess. He looked at the bed, reveling in the lines and straining muscles in Vince's body. Faraday had done a bloody good job of keeping in shape; being a vigilante hadn't hurt in that respect either.

Chess particularly enjoyed some of the more sensitive areas on Faraday's body. There was a sensitive dip in the younger man's collarbone that made his eyes roll back in his head if it was kissed, and another over his left hip. (There was also a small scar there, a left over from Vince's days in the military. It was sensitive as well.)

The murderer paced back to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. It dipped under his weight, unexpectedly bringing the vigilante a few inches closer to his wandering hands. The mastermind let his fingers dance lightly over Vince's stomach as though he were blind; a small smirk twisted his lips upwards as the muscles twitched under his hands.

Who would have guessed that his vigilante was so sensitive to light touches?

He placed a gentle kiss on Vince's shoulder and sat back to admire the delicate flush that had spread across the younger man's face. He really was quite beautiful like this. _Especially_ like this. Chess thought he might get used to having the vigilante helpless and at his mercy. (Peter would be so _sad_ he'd missed being the first one to tie Vincent to their bed and have his wicked way with the younger man.)

"Relax darling," Chess murmured in Vince's ear as he combed his fingers through the blond curls. "I won't break you."

The outraged look in Vince's eyes almost made Chess laugh. He kissed the tip of the vigilante's nose, and delighted in the muffled cursing. The gag was almost definitely worth it.

Chess let his hands dance lower over the vigilante's chest, smirking at the way Vince writhed. It was times like this when he enjoyed Peter losing control. If the arrogant vigilante hadn't been so blasé over the fact that Peter had thought he'd died on patrol, Chess would never have gotten out. As it was, he was the one having fun with Vincent—angry make-up sex seemed to be a lot of fun, if Peter's thoughts were anything to go by.

Really, Vince seemed to be having as much fun as he was. Maybe he'd let Peter watch the security tapes before erasing them…

- o - o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Should Chess keep this to himself and make snarky comments later? Drop a line and let me know!


	6. Fool for You

Hey, it's a new chapter! And Dana/Vince gets the love it needs.

Un-beta'ed, as usual.

- o – o -

Chapter six: Fool for You

_January_

Dana giggled every time Vince came up behind her to kiss the back of her neck and chew on her hair. They'd been married for a little over a month now, and they were still crazy in love. Sometimes, Dana thought they could never be happier than this.

_February_

In February, Vince got his discharge papers. While Dana never knew what he'd done in the military, she could tell he was relieved to get those papers. The night after his retirement ceremony (and he was going to have to tell her what he'd done to get retirement at the age of twenty-four), they checked into a motel for a week. Management stopped calling about the noise after the first day.

_March_

In March, Dana announced that she was pregnant. Vince passed out and toppled off his chair. If Dana hadn't loved her dork of a husband so much, she would have been annoyed. As soon as he woke up, however, he was a whirlwind of energy. By the end of the month, he'd gotten more baby supplies than Dana thought was legal to actually buy.

_April_

Dana's mother was over the moon when she heard that her daughter was going to be having a child. As soon as Vince learned that his mother-in-law had learned of the pregnancy, he disappeared for hours on end, looking for a new job. Dana couldn't blame him—her mother was a bit of a harpy. At least the woman was preoccupied with helping the Faradays settle into the house they'd bought a few weeks beforehand.

_May_

Vince loved how Dana looked when she was browsing through baby name books or looking up new recipes to try out. His wife always had a special glow on her face when she thought no one was looking. He sometimes wished he'd entered forensics or photojournalism, just so he could have an excuse to carry a camera around all the time. Dana threw a pillow at his head every time she saw him staring.

_June_

By the fourth month of her pregnancy, neither Faraday was exactly sad to see Dana's mother leave Palm City. They were also grateful that Kathleen, Dana's sister, had moved into an apartment in the city. If Kathleen was around, then Mrs. Thompson could be assured that her baby girl was being looked after. Kathleen, on the other hand, checked in once a week instead of once a day. Vince was grateful that at least one other person could stand anchovies and pineapple on pizza.

_July_

When Vince announced that he'd gotten a job with the Palm City Police Department, Dana could only stare. The same police department that was almost world-renowned for corruption? Vince couldn't understand why his wife wasn't as happy as he was; still, he was grateful that he was no longer working entirely off of his pension checks and unemployment while he hunted down a job. If he was lucky, he'd make detective in a few years. Ten was a good number.

_August_

Dana almost kicked Vince out when she learned that he'd accepted an undercover mission with his department. She almost marched right down to the police station to give his captain a piece of her mind, but being six months pregnant stopped her from doing so. Kathleen stepped up and threatened him with castration for worrying her sister—_his wife_. Vince agreed to call every week.

_September_

Dana began counting the hours until her husband called. She also began applying to law schools, and tried to ignore the strange men who followed her around every so often. They'd never tried to accost her, or even approach her. Still, she worried. Vince's phone calls were just too far away some days.

_October_

Vince held his wife for three hours, saying nothing as she cried into his shirt. He couldn't blame her—it had been a long two months for both of them. While he was never going to tell her what he'd done during his undercover assignment (for legal and personal reasons), he vowed to think long and hard before taking another one. At least not until he had a solid grip on his family's safety, anyways.

_November_

Vincent Gregory Faraday III was born in the backseat of a speeding car. It was not how Dana had intended to give birth, and it was an experience neither she nor her husband wanted to repeat. They'd been attempting to go to the hospital for her last check-up when the contractions had started. To say that her obstetrician was surprised when she and Vince arrived with a newborn baby in tow would have been an understatement.

_December_

The three Faradays were quite happy with their lives. Trip's first Christmas was celebrated as quietly as possible, because neither he nor Dana were feeling like taking a long trip to visit relatives. Vince was quite happy to stay home and massage his wife's feet on Christmas Eve as they watched cheesy Christmas-themed cartoons. Trip fell asleep long before midnight, and his parents followed soon after. Outside the living room window, a soft snow began falling.

The first year was always the sweetest; for the Faradays, it was also the most exciting.

- o – o -

Well, what did you think? Good? Bad? Want me to stop writing now? Drop a line and let me know!


	7. Fireflies

Hey, it's a new chapter! Dana moves on.

Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.

- o – o -

Chapter seven: Fireflies

It said something about Jacob Philips that Trip never complained when he came over. The lack of dirty looks was also noticeable. Dana didn't know what was different between Philips and…say, Travis, but she wasn't sad that there _was_ a difference. When she'd first brought her best friend's ex-boyfriend over for coffee, Trip had asked the poor guy if he was the gay guy from a movie he'd seen. (Dana had grounded her son for two reasons; one being embarrassing her guest, the other for watching an R-rated movie.)

Philips had promptly pulled a five out of his wallet and bribed Trip to never mention _that movie_ again. The rising blush on the poor guy's face had made her laugh for a good half hour.

A week later, she'd gotten a phone call from Kia. Kia had moved to New York; according to her—and Jacob corroborated the story later—the split had been mutual and peaceful. As they cut the call off, Kia had given Dana her blessing to date Philips. When Jacob showed up at her office later, claiming to have forgotten that Kia had moved to New York, Dana saw right through him. And said so. Still, she and Philips shared the lunch he'd brought with him.

And that was that. It was the first step in an incredibly odd—and somewhat awkward—relationship. Whatever had drawn Philips in after that first cup of coffee kept him coming back, time and time again. Dana half-wondered what the ARK soldier thought he was atoning for. He hadn't been involved in her husband's death, after all. (He _had_ looked a little guilty when she'd brought it up a few weeks ago, before quickly changing the subject.)

That wasn't the point she was trying to make, Dana thought with a sigh as she threw her pen down on the pile of paperwork on her desk. She'd been… Well, it wasn't exactly dating, but she'd been seeing Philips for almost three months now. The Cape wasn't so happy about that, but he could keep quiet or bring her husband back from the dead.

_And that was extremely petty, Dana_, she thought with a grimace as she packed her files into her briefcase for work in the morning. The vigilante meant well, but… Come on, she was making new friends and beginning to move on with her life. Was he really that oblivious to the fact that she was a grown woman?

Maybe he wasn't oblivious, but Dana was sure that a jealous vigilante was the _last_ thing she needed. Especially today, she added mentally. The public defender slipped her tennis shoes on and crept quietly into the living room. She didn't want to interrupt the fascinating debate between her son and her new boyfriend.

It was about baseball, and was about the merits of professional versus casual games. Given that Philips played for the unofficial company team, he was loudly in favor of casual games. Trip was not.

Dana cleared her throat as she entered the living room, finishing her task of pulling her hair back into a ponytail. Jacob was sweet, and even Trip liked him. (It helped that Philips could easily relate to kids; he was good with them. Must have been why he was working with the crisis response teams, instead of being a typical ARK thug.)

"Hey you," Dana smiled, hugging Jacob as she got near him.

She chose to ignore the gagging sounds as she and Jacob shared a deep kiss.

- o – o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Should Vince have brought himself back to life by this point? Drop a line and let me know!


	8. Crush

Hey, it's a new chapter! This time, Ruvi finds a new way to drive Vince crazy.

Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.

- o – o -

Chapter eight: Crush

What had started out as a simple plan to annoy Vince had become, Ruvi mused as he ran a comb through his hair, something much more interesting. There was a time when he wouldn't have spent this much time on his appearance for anything less than a show, but this was now. For that matter, he'd never willingly worn a suit in his life. The hypnotist tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt, before straightening it again.

Here he was, worrying over his appearance like some sixteen-year-old girl. If it hadn't driven Vince insane that he was now dating Dana, he'd have hung himself. Or something… The entire affair had started six months ago, when he'd gone to file paperwork with the courthouse. He had, quite literally, run into Dana Faraday as she was coming out of chambers.

From there, it had developed into an actual relationship. Of course, he'd had to beg her forgiveness for accidentally pouring a cup of coffee on her. (Luckily, she'd won a case and was in a forgiving mood.) It had been a split-second decision, but he'd offered to buy her a cup of coffee.

Ruvi smiled at the memory. Dana had, amazingly, agreed. A week later, she had invited _him_ out for coffee. Three weeks after that, they'd shared lunch outside the courthouse—Ruvi had paid for shawarma at a small kiosk. Dana had admitted to liking it; that had been the first time she'd kissed him. (It had also led to Vince giving him a black eye later that day.)

By the first month of their off-kilter relationship, Dana had finally introduced him to Trip. Ruvi had heard far too many stories about Trip from Vince on many occasions—mostly after Vince became drunk after escapades that required medical attention and alcohol—and hadn't been looking forward to meeting the boy. Seeing Trip perform simple magic tricks like an old hand (some of them better than even _Max_) had changed his opinion.

Dana hadn't been too pleased when he'd started teaching her son to do simple conjuring illusions and a vanishing trick, but had given in. Ruvi was the only man she'd met—outside of work, and, oddly, Kia's fiancé Jacob Philips—who didn't believe her husband was guilty of Chess' crimes.

And now, Ruvi thought as he left his trailer for the bus line, they were getting rather serious. It had been six months since they'd begun dating, and he didn't regret a second of it. Now, instead of being his primary goal, annoying Vince had become…secondary.

But Dana was worth it. Ruvi smiled as he knocked on Dana's door half an hour later, a single red rose in one hand.

Dana greeted him with a kiss, and Ruvi decided that annoying Vince wasn't so important after all.

- o – o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Are Ruvi and Dana a cute couple, or is Ruvi in for a beating? Drop a line and let me know!


	9. What the Hell?

Hey, I've finally updated! Gregor is a pain.

Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.

- o - o -

What the Hell?

Gregor Molotov had wanted to be Kozmo ever since he'd stumbled across the legend Max had inherited. He'd gone to prison for trying to prove that he was worthy of the title. That betrayal had stung the most. When he'd escaped from the Russian prison and returned to Palm City to try to prove his worth again, he'd discovered that Max had replaced him.

With a foolish brat playing at being a superhero.

That betrayal stung almost as badly as losing the chance to prove he was worthy of holding the title of Kozmo the Unkillable. His only consolation was that fighting the Cape proved a decent balm for his emotional wounds. Flustering the innocent boy wearing _his_ cape was almost as good.

Gregor danced backwards, out of reach of the cloak. He laughed, causing the vigilante he was taunting to growl in annoyance. The magician had escaped Owl Island several days ago, only to discover that the Cape had vowed to drag him back to prison. Gregor wanted to make him work for it.

He laughed again as the vigilante tripped over one of the carefully placed nearly-invisible wires that had been in place for hours before the fight had even begun. Gregor darted forward, wrapping the Cape in a bear hug before the younger man could react.

"You should be more careful," he purred in the vigilante's ear. The man thrashed wildly, trying to break Gregor's hold on him. Fighting against someone who'd turned the study of the human body into an art form was futile, though.

"I'll see you back in Owl Island, Gregor," Vince rasped. Gregor laughed at the cop's vow.

And, unable to resist, spun the vigilante around and planted a kiss on the man's lips. He was able to gain access to the Cape's mouth for a few seconds before darting backwards.

"You can try, Vince!" he laughed, vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

He hid in the rafters of the warehouse for several hours afterwards, laughing madly over the memory of the vigilante's face after he'd been kissed.

Truly, there were some things worth giving up the cloak for.

- o – o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Think Gregor's lost his marbles? Drop a line and let me know!


	10. You Only Tell Me You Love Me

In which the chapter title is almost as long as the chapter.

Un-beta'ed, so quibble away.

- o – o -

You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk

Max gives Karma an indulgent smile as the younger man thunders into his trailer, a wide grin on his face. There are two glass bottles in his hands, filled with an amber liquor that Max is pretty sure is whiskey and…snakes. There are snakes in the bottles. Dead snakes, or Max would have screamed (he might be playing his part in terms of being Kozmo, but snakes are not something he's sure he will _ever_ be comfortable around). They are well and truly pickled by this point.

Karma grins and holds them up, reeling back on his feet a little. "Snake wine, Max!" he crows, and shoves one of the bottles into Max's chest. He grins, and Max frowns before taking a sniff of the air around his younger friend. Karma's a bit odd normally, but this time, he's drunk. Unbelievably drunk.

"And how much have _you_ had?" Max mutters under his breath as Karma throws himself into an armchair and sprawls there with a dramatic groan.

"Try some!" Karma urges him, gesticulating wildly with his own bottle of snake wine. "It'll make you live forever, I swear. The guy in Vietnam said so when I borrowed a case of it."

Max smiles and shakes his head, sighing. Still, he pours himself a shot of the snake wine and knocks it back. It burns and he starts coughing, while Karma just laughs at him and takes a swig from the bottle in his hand. The snakes waver in their alcohol baths, and Max grimaces before pouring himself another shot.

Karma staggers to his feet and across to Max, before planting a kiss on the older man's lips.

It's 1965. Max doesn't see Karma again.

- o – o -

So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Wondering what happened to Karma? Drop a line and let me know.


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